Page 490 - ISC PROCEEDINGS 21.4

Techcombank. The latest research (2025) has begun to assess the impact of Generative AI
(GenAI) on employee performance and service personalization capabilities in Vietnam.
Furthermore, a topic of significant interest among policymakers is the regulatory sandbox
mechanism for AI technologies in the financial sector.
While prior research has elucidated the roles of AI and technical algorithms, the
seamless integration of 'Cognitive Banking' and the 'Digital Humanism' philosophy within
the nuanced context of a transitioning economy like Vietnam remains underexplored.
This paper seeks to bridge this research gap by conducting an in-depth analysis of
representative case studies and proposing strategic recommendations for the Vietnamese
banking sector.
2.2. Theoretical foundations of banking in the artificial intelligence era
2.2.1. The concept of banking in the era of artificial intelligence
In academia and among international financial institutions, the concept of banking
in the AI era goes far beyond the mere installation of intelligent software. It is perceived
through various lenses, reflecting a fundamental transition from a physical institution to a
digital ecosystem. This paper examines four pivotal perspectives on this concept:
Perspective 1: Cognitive Banking
Banking is no longer merely a repository for funds but has evolved into a "thinking"
data hub. In this model, Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions as the central nervous system,
enabling banks to self-learn from historical behaviors to predict future needs. Instead of
reacting to requests, the bank proactively offers solutions before the customer even
realizes the need exists (IBM, 2016).
Currently, technology giants such as IBM (with its Watson system) employ the term
"Cognitive Banking" to define a new era for the financial industry. This is the most
prevalent perspective, viewing the bank as an entity capable of "thinking"—one that
understands customer psychology, provides personalized advisory services, and
empowers the institution to enhance business performance while optimizing risk
management…
Perspective 2: Invisible Banking
Banking becomes an invisible layer embedded within the daily activities of human
life. Through Artificial Intelligence, finance is fully integrated into other platforms. When
customers need to pay for their chosen services or products, AI-driven banking
automatically processes cash flows, credit limits, and insurance at that exact touchpoint
without the need for manual intervention (KPMG, 2016; King, 2018).
Perspective 3: Bank as a Platform (BaaP)
Banking is viewed as an open platform where Artificial Intelligence (AI) bridges
financial and non-financial services. In the AI era, banks no longer need to create every
product themselves. Instead, they leverage AI to analyze and connect customers with the
most suitable Fintech partners or third-party providers. Consequently, the role of the
bank shifts from being a "product seller" to a "coordinator of trust and data" (Bouvier,
2016).
Perspective 4: Digital Humanism in Banking
AI banking is the synthesis of machine efficiency and human empathy. AI is utilized
to liberate bank employees from tedious paperwork, allowing them to focus on providing
complex behavioral finance advisory for customers. In the AI era, the bank is not a cold,
impersonal robot; rather, it is a tool that enhances the quality of human-to-human
relationships (Blau & Plummer, 2015).

489